Thank you for being a friend! Golden Girl Betty White stars in hilarious passenger safety video for Air New Zealand

She is a beloved national treasure - adored by millions for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Rose Nylund in smash-hit comedy The Golden Girls.

But now actress Betty White has gone one better by becoming an honorary flight attendant.

The 91 year-old star, whose career spans six decades, has become the new face of Air New Zealand's in-flight passenger safety video.

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Welcome aboard: Betty White is the leading lady in the Air New Zealand's latest safety video

Old school of safety: Betty doesn't look any older than her Golden Girls days in the Air New Zealand video

Set at the fictional Second Wind Retirement Resort, the short film harks back to her halcyon Golden Girl days with Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, which won each of the ladies their own Emmy Award for their depiction of pensioners living in Miami.

The new campaign sees her lead passengers through the emergency safety procedures of the A320 airbus with a series of one-liners and barbed comments which make safety 'old school'.

American actor Gavin MacLeod, famous for his role as Captain Stubing on TV’s The Love Boat makes a cameo appearance, while a cast of fun-loving retirees, including actor Jimmy Weldon - AKA the voice of Yakky Doodle duck in the Yogi Bear Show - take audiences through tips for a good flight.

In one scene she can be seen flirting with an elder gentleman before telling viewers: 'If an emergency were to happen during take-off or landing we suggest this delightful brace position'.

Another scene tells passengers that 'no matter where you are smoking on any aircraft is prohibited at all times', to which Betty adds: 'As is any other hanky panky which creates a bit of heat'.

She then says: 'If your eyesight isn't what it used to be, or if you've forgotten where you are, your flight crew are now pointing out where your nearest exit is.'

As testament to her enduring appeal, the video has already attracted 25 million views online.

First-class humour: The video has already been a huge online hit - garnering 25 million views

Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia would be proud: Betty continues to make viewers laugh with her talent

Betty said she had been exploring opportunities to work with the airline for some time.

'Air
New Zealand has a global reputation for creating unique in-flight
safety videos. When the opportunity came up to be involved in this
project, I couldn’t say no. We had a lot of fun on set and I think
we’ve shown that it doesn’t matter what age you are, it’s important to
live life to the full,' says Betty.

Their Head of Global Brand Development, Jodi Williams, says Betty
White was the ideal partner for the airline’s latest safety video
offering.

'Our brand is all about liberating from the ordinary and our safety videos have proven a great way to showcase our unique personality to audiences of all ages around the world.

'In Betty we found the perfect partner - she is renowned for being a little bit cheeky and with a career spanning 74 years, who better to learn survival tips from than the award-winning show business veteran?'

She added: 'As a small airline at the
bottom of the world, we have to think outside the square when it comes
to driving brand awareness and conveying important safety messages to
our millions of customers. Partnering with influencers like Betty has
proven an effective way of doing this,' says Ms Williams.